


Journeys

by Alabaster86



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-05
Updated: 2015-02-05
Packaged: 2018-03-10 15:04:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3294812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alabaster86/pseuds/Alabaster86
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A scene that may have taken place after 'The Search'....Zuko confides in his rediscovered mother about Mai.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Journeys

He was the Fire Lord, leader of an entire nation, yet Zuko felt far too often like a little boy playing at being king.  Walking along with his mother, their arms linked, he listened to her gentle voice and wandered back in time to when he really was a child. She’d always made him feel warm and loved in a home, a palace filled with cold distances and cruelty and deceit. Ursa had been one of the few islands of calm amidst the turmoil.

And when she disappeared that night Zuko lost something that even now, back in her presence, he could never get back.

“I’ve told you everything,” she declared, her carefully considered words coming to a stop. “I hope you can forgive me. I…..”

“Mom,” Zuko interrupted. “I’m just happy that I found you. All these years…..” He paused for a moment, swept away by something painful.

“Zuko?”  Ursa placed a tentative hand on his arm, as though afraid to touch, afraid to disrupt.

The Fire Lord’s smile was shaky. “I wish that I could say I never lost hope, that you were alive somewhere I mean. But that would be a lie.”

“I understand. “  _Her_ smile was tremulous too but gold eyes shone with compassion and love. “What else could you think, really?”

“But I never stopped thinking about you and sometimes those memories got me through, those memories and ones of…..” Here he came to a choking halt, his gravelly voice full of pain.

“What is it, Zuko?  Tell me; keeping it all in won’t help.”

Once he started he couldn’t stop. Everything about Mai and his broken relationship with her spilled out, heartfelt words tumbling over other heartfelt words; he talked until he could say no more.

“Go to her. Don’t let pride or fear stop you. Go to her and tell her what you’ve told me.”

“She hates me, Mom. I drove her away. I kept things from her.” Zuko swiped at his eyes, embarrassed by his tears.  “I, I only wanted to protect her.”

“Sounds like Mai can take care of herself quite well. “  Sighing, Ursa took her son’s hand. “A relationship has to be built on trust, not just passion or even love.  Without trust, you’ve got nothing.” She gave his hand a squeeze.  “Go to her.”

“What if….”

“Go! Start over. Show her how much you care. Show Mai that she can trust you to be honest and to include her.  The worst has already happened, Zuko.”

Zuko nodded his head.  “I hate to leave you.”

“I’ll be here, waiting. And there’s Azula. I need to build trust with her.”

He cherished her hug, took in her final words of encouragement and left.  One journey had ended. Now he embarked on another. Zuko hoped the ending would be as happy.

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
